UTAH COUNTY, UTAH — The Utah County Sheriff's Office formally closed a 51-year-old cold case after using new DNA testing to identify a murdered teenager as a victim of serial killer Ted Bundy. Laura Ann Aime, aged 17, disappeared after leaving a party on Halloween night in 1974.

Aime left the party alone to go to a convenience store. Hikers discovered her body about one month after her disappearance in American Fork Canyon.

New DNA testing confirmed that DNA from Aime's body belonged to Ted Bundy. "This case is now officially closed," Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith said during a news conference.

Bundy confessed to Aime's killing before his execution in Florida in 1989. Between February 1974 and February 1978, Bundy murdered at least 30 women.

At the time of Aime's death, Bundy was studying law at the University of Utah and living in Salt Lake City. He had moved to Salt Lake City in September 1974 and subsequently killed victims in Utah, Idaho, and Colorado.

Aime's body was found bound, beaten, and without clothing. Authorities indicated that evidence suggested Aime had likely been kept alive for several days after her abduction.

"We felt the pain the family feels when she was taken. We felt the pain that you felt this whole entire time, and we've had the desire to deliver to you some type of healing, we can't really say closure," Utah County Sheriff's Sergeant Mike Reynolds said at a news conference.

Police arrested Bundy in August 1975 after finding rope, handcuffs, and a ski mask in his vehicle. A jury convicted Bundy of kidnapping and assault and sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Bundy escaped custody at an Aspen courthouse in 1977 by climbing out of a second-story window when left alone. He was recaptured eight days after his first 1977 escape.

Bundy escaped custody a second time six months after his first recapture by breaking through the ceiling of a jail. He continued to kill victims until he was finally caught in 1978.

A vial of Bundy's blood, drawn in 1978, was found in Florida in 2011 and its DNA profile was entered into the FBI's national database. This blood sample provided the DNA evidence that confirmed Bundy as Aime's killer.

Aime's family described her as a free spirit who loved the outdoors and found joy in all her activities. The Utah County Sheriff said if Bundy were still alive, prosecutors would pursue the death penalty against him.